Military firefighters at BIA to Maine Legislature: Make our retirement plan comparable to other fire departments

MSEA-SEIU members who work as military firefighters for the Maine Air National Guard Fire Department at Bangor International Airport share a moment with supporters Feb. 24 after asking members of the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, and the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, to fund LD 1236 as part of the proposed Supplemental Budget known as LD 2212.

In testimony before the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, and the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, MSEA-SEIU members who work as military firefighters for the Maine Air National Guard Fire Department at Bangor International Airport on Feb. 24 asked that LD 1236, An Act to Address Employee Retention of State Employees Who Are Firefighters at Bangor International Airport, be funded as part of the Governor’s proposed Supplemental Budget known as LD 2212.

The military firefighters’ retirement plan requires them to serve 25 years AND reach age 55 before they can retire without penalty. The age requirement in the military firefighters’ retirement plan is the chief reason for their department’s recruitment and retention problem, they said, noting that other fire departments provide for retirement after 25 years of service regardless of age.

“In this department, I have responded to car accidents and structure fires, out in the surrounding towns and in the city. Just here at the airport, we all have responded to various calls on both civilian and military aircraft like fuels spills, assisting medical aircraft, medical calls on diverting aircraft, diverting aircraft with mechanical issues just to name a few,” explained MSEA-SEIU Member and Maine Air National Guard Fire Capt. Ryan McGuire. “In the past six months, I have responded to two separate fatal plane crashes at Bangor International Airport. During the last incident, we were on scene doing our jobs without hesitation in less than two minutes. These calls will last with us first responders for a lifetime, and beyond in the community.”

Continuing, Capt. McGuire said, “To hire firefighters, we must have similar retirement plans with area fire departments. To continue to provide high-quality fire protection to the Maine Air National Guard and the Bangor International Airport, we ask that you support DVEM firefighters at Bangor International Airport by funding LD 1236.”

MSEA-SEIU Member and Maine Air National Guard Fire Capt. Nicole Loupe spoke of the dangers of her profession. “On average, our life expectancy is 10 years less than the general population, and due to being exposed to an abundant variation of toxins, to include Class B foam, we have a 9% higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer. Our job is also high stress, resulting in sleeping and eating disorders, mental health issues, respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease,” Capt. Loupe said. “Most of us have the ‘25 years of service AND 55 years old retirement, which is outdated, having been enacted in 1998. Due to the negative impact on our health, and lack of recruitment and retention, we ask that you prioritize funding LD 1236. This would allow those who are employed as firefighters at BIA to retire after 25 years of service without penalty.”

The Maine Air National Guard Fire Department’s recruitment and retention problem due to its retirement-age requirement is real and must be addressed immediately, said MSEA-SEIU Member and fellow Fire Capt. Brandon Michaud.

“I have worked at Maine Air National Guard Fire Department since 2012,” Capt. Michaud said. “When I first applied and interviewed to be a Military Firefighter at the Bangor International Airport, there were always 10-plus qualified applicants competing for a single position. Over the past 13 years, I have seen less and less qualified applicants applying. Sometimes we only have one or two qualified people for an opening. We are losing applicants to surrounding communities who work less hours per week and have no age requirement to retire.”

“Firefighting is a dangerous profession with the average life expectancy of a firefighter being 10 years less than the general population,” Capt. Michaud continued. “Due to the nature of our profession, we are exposed to carcinogens not only from fires, fuel spills and diesel fumes, but also from the firefighting foam and flame retardant personal protective gear we wear exposing us to PFAS-PFOAS and other carcinogens. Firefighters have a 14% higher death rate than the average American as well as higher rates of cardiovascular disease, sleeping disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and respiratory illnesses.”

Capt. Michaud added that not only is the Maine Air National Guard Fire Department having less applicants, but the department also lost several employees to neighboring departments with better retirement packages – “employees that we have invested a lot of time and resources training. I urge all committee members to ensure there is funding in LD 2212 to change the retirement plan for us, to one with no age restriction of the firefighters at the Bangor International Airport. Funding LD 1236 will greatly improve recruiting and retention of firefighters which will save taxpayer money in the long run.”

The Maine House and Maine Senate already have passed LD 1236; now it’s just a matter of the Appropriations Committee providing the $500,000 in one-time funding needed for its implementation. The funding request in LD 1236 comes as state legislators are deciding what to do with the State’s current $250 million state budget surplus. All expenses for salary, benefits and equipment are 100% federally funded with zero expense to the State of Maine, noted MSEA-SEIU Member and fellow Fire Capt. Jeremiah Jordan.

“To hire firefighters, we must have similar retirement plans with area fire departments,” Capt. Jordan told legislators. “To continue to provide high-quality fire protection to the Maine Air National Guard and the Bangor International Airport, we ask that you support and prioritize us, the DVEM Firefighters at Bangor International Airport, by funding LD 1236 with the state’s $250 million surplus.”

Funding LD 1236 is a necessity and the Legislature must do so as part of LD 2212, said MSEA-SEIU Member and Firefighter Marc Anderson. “I first became a firefighter at the airport in 1997. I am responsible for driving aircraft rescue firefighting equipment and responding to both aircraft and structural emergencies. In my 29 years of service as a firefighter, we have had multiple emergencies. I am concerned that some of the aircraft incidents may have contributed to my elevated PFOS and PFOA levels. My annual blood tests indicate that I am in the 95^th percentile of the United States. This issue is not widely understood in the medical community, but firefighters (especially airport firefighters), seem to test very highly. If LD 1236 had gone into effect five years ago, I could have retired,” Marc Anderson told legislators.

Marc Anderson added that the duties of the Maine Air National Guard Fire Department have increased over the years. “In 2015 we were provided with a structural fire engine and our call volume doubled with mutual aid responses to Bangor, Hermon, Old Town and other surrounding towns,” he said. “In 2024, we had 436 responses. Of these, 121 were medical and vehicle accidents, 80 aircraft and fuel spill responses and 26 building fires. The increase in operational tempo can reduce long-time firefighter health. In my full-time career, I have seen retirees pass too early. This bill may extend time with loved ones for firefighters with high-risk jobs. While LD 1236 may not influence my career, I think it is important to firefighter health and the sustainability of the Bangor International Airport.”